Missing
by Ikari no Ojo
Summary: Helga's lived a life of a shadow. Her home life is terrible and she's sick of it. Everything piled up and now she's giving up. Or can one person whom she cares deeply about save her from her dark despair?


Hey everyone! I'm writing a one-shot for Hey Arnold! because I miss that show dearly. That was my childhood right there at it's prime :) Plus I love ArnoldXHelga :D

While reading this, you should listen to 'Missing' by Evanescence, which the lyrics of said song are incorporated into this story

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The storm clouds lingered over head as Helga opened the door to head outside. Everything was soaked to the core with rain and a bitter wind rushed past her. "I'm leaving for school!" she called, knowing deep down that she wouldn't get a response. Silence met her ears and she sighed before heading out towards P.S 118. Sloshing through puddles and being bitten by the wind, she managed to get to school before she caught hypothermia. Arnold got out of the car and saw Helga holding her arms towards her body, desperately trying to keep her warmth in her body. He worried about Helga, but he knew if he tried to reach out, he'd get burnt for it. With her wild mood swings, no one could get close to her long enough to learn anything that could help them understand anything about her.

She was shivering terribly and when she reached the door, she couldn't open the door due to her hands being almost completely numb. Arnold rushed over and opened the door, his eyes showering her half frozen form with concern. Glancing at him with her icy blue eyes, she just walked inside the school, into the warmth that enveloped her. Were those tears on her cheeks? Or were they rain drops? Arnold wasn't sure but he headed to class anyway. When he got there, he saw Helga staring out of the window hardly paying any attention to what was going on. "Alright students, I have your poems graded. As usual, I will read the best one out of all the ones handed in" said Mr. Simmons.

"This one is called 'Missing' by Anonymous" said Mr. Simmons as he cleared his throat.

_"Please, please forgive me,_

_But I won't be home again._

_Maybe someday you'll look up,_

_And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:_

_"Isn't something missing?"_

_You won't cry for my absence, I know -_

_You forgot me long ago._

_Am I that unimportant...?_

_Am I so insignificant...?_

_Isn't something missing?_

_Isn't someone missing me?_

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,_

_You won't try for me, not now._

_Though I'd die to know you love me,_

_I'm all alone._

_Isn't someone missing me?_

_Please, please forgive me,_

_But I won't be home again._

_I know what you do to yourself,_

_I breathe deep and cry out,_

_"Isn't something missing?_

_Isn't someone missing me?"_

_And if I bleed, I'll bleed,_

_Knowing you don't care._

_And if I sleep just to dream of you_

_I'll wake without you there,_

_Isn't something missing?_

_Isn't something..."_

Arnold was looking over at Helga, who had stopped watching the rain and had her head on her arms. She wasn't throwing spitballs at him, or throwing anything for that matter. Helga just sat there with teary eyes. Mr. Simmons looked at Helga, knowing it was her who wrote the poem. After all, it was in her usual purple ink handwriting. Arnold caught Mr. Simmons' expression and saw he to was concerned. He went to say something when the bell rang, causing Helga to run out of the room. Arnold thought something was up, so followed her. When she got to her house, he realized that she didn't see him and if she did she didn't acknowledge it. Silently she closed the door behind her and Arnold went to the window, peering inside. "I'm home" said Helga in a lifeless tone. He saw her mother passed out on the couch and Helga sigh. "You are always sleeping Miriam" said Helga as she cringed at the sound of footsteps approaching her.

"Baby sister" came the voice of Helga's older sister, Olga. "Don't wake Mommy baby sister! She's had a rough day. Help me with the chores and then we'll make a special dinner for both Mommy and Daddy" said Olga with a bright smile. Helga sighed and proceeded to do what she was told. Arnold got the feeling that he was seeing something that no one ever knew about Helga. Moving to the other window, he saw Helga silently let tears roll down her cheeks as she muttered to herself. "Why can't she ever call me by my name? Do I not exist to her?...who am I kidding? this whole house doesn't notice me. It's like that day of preschool..." said Helga quietly. '_That day of preschool?...does she mean...?'_ though Arnold as he thought back to that day of preschool.

_**It was a raining morning and a young Arnold was strapped into his grandfathers car as they drove to the preschool. The car splashed through puddles and during one turn, he thought he saw a girl his age, dressed in a pink jumpsuit with a white t-shirt under it with a pink bow ontop of her blonde hair that was pulled into two pigtails standing on the opposite street corner. He saw her get splashed by another car and his heart broke at the sight. Arnold sat there thinking as to where her parents were, and why she wasn't in a car like him. Once he got to the preschool, his grandpa handed him his umbrella after opening it for him outside of the car and Arnold saw the girl from before. Holding the umbrella over her head, he smiled at her as she turned to him. "I like your bow because it's pink like your pants" said Arnold as they walked into the preschool. The girl was in shock and didn't say anything back. Eventually all the kids started teasing the girl, who Arnold had learned was named Helga. Her eyes became teary and he noticed she didn't have anything to eat. Why didn't her parents give her food? was the question running through his head. He got up and handed her a plate with two graham crackers on it. Helga's crying halted for a moment and he smiled at her as she took the crackers.**_

Arnold's eyes widened as he began to piece everything together. By now, Helga had gone up to her room. Looking around for a way up to her window, he finally found a tree and climbed up it. His heart broke when he heard her sobbing. Downstairs he heard her parents laughing at something Olga had said or done while their daughter was crying upstairs. He slowly began to realize that her parents didn't acknowledge anything she did, or felt proud of her. Their lives were completely revolved around Olga that they neglected their youngest daughter. Arnold saw that Olga didn't realize just how big the impact of everything in the home had on her younger sister. "Where's Olga?" asked Mr. Pataki. "It's Helga dear" said Mrs. Pataki in her lazy drawling voice. There was something off about her voice that Arnold couldn't place. Almost like it was a slurr rather than a drawl. " Yeah right, whatever" said Mr. Pataki. "Yes where is my baby sister?" asked Olga. Never once did Olga ever call her sister by her name, it was as if she was insignificant to her own family.

Helga's sobs stopped and he saw her begin to move to the window, so he hurriedly climbed down and went to the front of the house, acting like he was just walking by when Helga finally appeared. Her eyes seemed lifeless and dull when she looked at him. "Hey Arnold" she said quietly. "Helga, are you alright?" he asked. "Yes...no...not really...I don't know what I'm talking about" said Helga. "Let's go to my house. You'll be able to get away from people there" Arnold offered. "No...it's ok" said Helga as she walked away from him. A nagging feeling in his gut told him to follow her, so he did. He followed her all the way to the bridge where she was standing on the railing. "No one would miss me...Arnold would be glad to be rid of me. I've just been a thorn in peoples' sides since day one...my family made that well known. Bob never wanted anything to do with me...Miriam was always too "tired" to do anything...and Olga...when was the last time she called me by name?..." Helga thought outloud. Arnold hesitated to approach her, listening to her talk.

"Who would miss me? I've been a bully my whole life...because no one would notice me if I hadn't been...the only one who noticed me since day one...was Arnold" Helga said before sighing. "Oh Arnold...thank you for your kindness. You kept me tethered to this world for so long, seeing you was the only that brought me joy. Please forgive me for tormenting you for so long...it's just...I love you. I didn't want anyone else to know, but I guess now it won't matter. You will forget me just like everyone else will...good bye" said Helga as she went to walk off the bridge into the raging waters of the river below her. Arnold became unfrozen from his spot and ran towards her. "Helga Don't!" he cried out, reaching to grab her arm. He failed and she plunged into the ravenous waters below. Arnold stared into the water, rain falling harder upon his skin. Shock ran through his body, numbing him.

"No..." he said, falling to the ground. "No...this can't happen...Helga...why?" he asked himself. He rocked back and forth. "You can't be gone Helga...why didn't you say something sooner? Why?" screamed Arnold as he slowly got up. He ran to the only place he could think of, Helga's place. His footsteps were shaky and he fell multiple times on his way there. When he knocked on the door, he was met with a teary eyed Olga. Her face was red while her eyes were puffy. "Y-yes? Wh-Who a-are y-you?" she tried to say in between sobs. "I...I'm Arnold. I was a friend of Helga's" said Arnold, not knowing what to say. "W-was?" asked Olga as he let him in. In the living room he saw Mr. and Mrs. Pataki crying as well, a note laying discarded on the floor. "Ca-can I see that?" Arnold asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Olga picked up the note and handed it to Arnold, a little confused at his actions.

"_To whoever reads this,_

_Everyone's got their hard times, but I can't handle mine anymore. Day in and day out I live a life of a shadow. My mother is an alcoholic, my father a short tempered beeper salesman, my sister the perfect one who doesn't acknowledge what is wrong with our family. Miriam once told Olga to "not make the same mistake I made" when Olga was getting married. Did you make a mistake Miriam? Is that why you are so forgetful, so tired, so lazy? Why you lost your liscense? Because you turned to alcohol to rid yourself of your problems? And what of you Big Bob, did you not realize that you never once called me by my name? You always said Olga or you just brushed off my name and called me little lady. When's the last time you called me Helga? And you Olga are the worst offender with the name. It's always been baby sister, never Helga. Not once did I hear you call me helga. What am I...a shadow? My first day of preschool was ignored. Olga's perfect piano playing was more important. Remember Bob? I tugged on your leg to get your attention, you just brushed me off. I called out to you that I was leaving, but you just ignored me._

_I was 3 years old and already walking around the streets of the city to get to school. Who lets their 3 year old daughter out on their own? Does my well being mean that little to you? Olga, everytime you came to visit, I hated it. Loathed it and despised it. What little attention I got was showered on you and I was left in the dark once more. I have been all alone since I was 3. There was only one person who showed me any kind of kindness and concern. His name is Arnold. Remember that day of preschool? I was covered in mud by the time I got to school and he held an umbrella over my head. He complimented my bow. I had lost my lunch due to a dog grabbing the lunch box out of my hand and he gave me food. I was teased in school and so I became a bully. What other way did I have to be noticed? I was just a shadow, as it was always 'Olga this' and 'Olga that'. Everywhere I went everyone wanted me to be Olga! I could never be what Olga is...and all I wanted was for you guys to love me...was that so hard to ask? I wanted to be loved, to be noticed, to be able to say I had a family. But I never had any of those things...ever...so by the time you read this...I'll be long gone...goodbye..."_

Arnold let the tears he was holding in fall and his hand trembled as he put the note down. She had attached a copy of the poem she handed in for the class assignment. "You s-said yo-you were Helga's friend. Wh-what happened t-to her?" asked Olga. By now her and her parents were staring at Arnold. He looked at the floor and swallowed the lump in his throat. "P-please...please tell me what ha-happened to my baby sister" pleaded Olga. "Sh-she...jumped off the bridge. I-I couldn't...stop her...and because of the storm, the river water was...raging rapids. I-I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Pataki...Olga...I couldn't...I couldn't....save her" said Arnold as the reality of everything hit him. Memories of their time together flashed before his eyes and he cried as hard as the family before him. His heart was torn asunder and he slowly came to the conclusion that he loved Helga. He had always loved her, but he never wanted to admit it...and now it was too late.

Two days later there was a funeral service held for Helga G. Pataki. Everyone came to it and they were all heartbroken. Some people knew of her familys faults and blamed themselves, while others just morned the loss of a young soul. Arnold was barely there mentally. His eyes were dry and he couldn't bring himself to cry anymore. One by one everyone cleared out after the service, eventually leaving him with her family by her gravestone. "Helga...my baby sister...I'm so sorry. I never realized...how much of an effect my pet name for you would have on you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better sister...You know why older siblings are born first? It's to protect the one's who come after them...and I failed at that. I hope you can forgive me Helga...I love you" said Olga as she placed a flower down on the ground and walked to the car, her sobs fading as she walked away. Her mother stepped up and had a hard time saying something. Her words died in the sea of tears.

"Helga...my lovely daughter...I've been sober for two days. I know it's not too long, but I'm trying. I'm so sorry I didn't pay attention, I'm sorry...that I messed up everything...I always loved you dear" was all she managed to say before her sobs took over her and she couldn't talk anymore. Mr. Pataki stepped up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Helga, I know you probably despise me, but I love you. I wanted you to be like Olga so that you could make it in the world...but I never saw just how my pressure effected you. Instead of motiviation, it hurt you. I failed as a father. Your mother and I have gone to couples conseling and I've been getting anger management classes" he said, the tears starting again as he placed a flower down. Once the family walked away, Arnold was left with the grave in front of him. As he opened his mouth to say something, a ghostly image of Helga floated over the grave.

Arnold was in shock and couldn't say anything, but saw tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you Helga...I...I love you. I know it's too late, but I love you. I should've been quicker, I shouldn't have frozen...I'm sorry..."said Arnold as the tears started. The ghostly image of Helga smiled sadly before floating over to him. Leaning in she placed a ghostly kiss upon Arnold's lips. It only lasted a few brief moments but Arnold could swear he truly felt her lips upon his. Just as he went to kiss back, she vanished. The wind picked up and Arnold could've sworn he heard her voice in the wind. As he turned to leave, he heard it. Her voice. "_Thank you Arnold...I can now rest in peace...I love you my darling"._

"Hey Arnold, Hey Arnold, Hey Arnold, Hey Arnold!"

Arnold fell onto the floor in shock. His eyes peered up out of his skylight roof. The weather was rainy and nasty. '_Just like in my dream...or was that reality?'_ thought Arnold as he looked at the calandar he had beside his bed. It read Friday and saw that he was late for school. Rushing to get dressed, he ran down the stairs and saw his grandpa getting the car ready. "Woah Shortman. You are pretty late" said grandpa with a chuckle. "I know, I know" said Arnold. They got into the car and drove to the school. He was relieved to see that he didn't see Helga walking to school like in his dream, but then relief turned into discomfort and fear. Saying goodbye, he rushed into school and when he got to class, her desk was empty. When the bell rang, Arnold ran out of the school. His heart was pounding in his chest by the time he made it to her house.

Climbing up the tree, he nearly fell but when he got to the top, he was overjoyed to see Helga sleeping in her bed. He watched her sleep for a few seconds before seeing a pink book laying open on the floor. Sneaking into the room, he read the poem only to be horrified that it was the same exact poem from his dream. "Arnold?" came a drowsy voice from behind me. Turning around, he saw Helga just waking up. She was rubbing her eyes and he saw that she had been crying. "What are you doing here football head? And how did you get in?" she asked, not angry but curious. "The tree. I'm so glad you are alright, I was worried when you didn't come in for school today" Arnold blurted out before catching his words and then blushed. Helga looked at him shocked and raised her eyebrow at him. "You...were worried about me?" she asked softly. Arnold blushed more and nodded. "I had a dream last night where you wrote this poem and handed it into Mr. Simmons. He read the poem and we both grew concerned with you since you were acting oddly. I decided to follow you home and saw how your homelife was. Eventually you climbed down the tree and headed to the bridge where the water was rapid and proceeded to jump off but not before you admitted you loved me. I went back to your house and your family was in tears because they found the note and a copy of your poem addressed to them. Everyone was heartbroken and I had to tell them that you killed yourself. Then there was this funeral service where your family said some words to you and then I admitted that I loved you and how sorry I was that I couldn't save you. Then this ghostly image of you appeared with tears on your face. you kissed me then faded away leaving me with the words "thank you arnold. i can now rest in peace. i love you my darling" Arnold said in one breath.

Helga stared at him, in awe that he had spoken that much that quickly and in shock at what he had admitted. "You...love...me?" she asked softly. Arnold blushed and stood up. "Yes Helga. That dream made me realize just how devastated I was when I lost you. I woke up this moring with tears on my face and rushed to school only to find out you weren't in. So I came here. I love you Helga and I'd die if I lost you...especially if I had a chance to save you but cou-" was all he could say before Helga pressed her lips to his.

Once she pulled away, she smiled. "I love you too Arnold, but if you ever read my poems again, I'll pummel you into the ground" she said, causing the two lovers to laugh and embrace each other warmly. Arnold's nightmare was finally over and Helga's dreaming had just began.

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Author's Note: Bet you thought that was going to end sadly :P It would've but I decided to make it something cheerier instead of depressing. Please review! No flames please


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